Chapter Title: What this is really about?

Title: lessons

AUTHOR: obisgirl
Rating: nc-17
Characters: Killian/Emma

Summary: Fairytale land – AU. Emma is a princess on the verge of becoming a woman but wants more out of life than what her parents can give her, so she makes a wish to be swept away which translates into being kidnapped and sold at a slave auction to one Captain Killian Jones.

A/N: The Evil Queen's curse never happened.

Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time characters are property of Disney and Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis. This fanfic is for pure entertainment.

Emma doesn't understand Killian's sudden change in attitude. He convinced her twice to stay and the third time, she chose to stay and now, he wants her off the ship? Something doesn't feel right to her and Emma demands answers from him, which Killian is in no mood to provide. But that doesn't stop her from pounding furiously on his cabin door.

Killian sighs, looking over sea charts, trying to find the fastest route back to her kingdom. He doesn't want to kill Emma, killing her wasn't even a part of the original plan but he can't even fathom doing it. He's not a murderer. Yes, he has killed men before either in self-defense or because of something else but they were men.

This is Emma.

She's different.

He celebrated her eighteenth birthday a day ago and is now tasked with ending her life.

The only reason he took the dagger was so Mariana, his mother couldn't do it herself because he knows, if given the chance, she would. He's protecting her from that fate but now, Killian feels a horrible pain in stomach if he were forced to kill her. He feels his body shake at the idea of stabbing her.

Emma – she has her whole life ahead of her and for her parents to lose a child after loving her for eighteen years – doesn't seem right. He can't do it. Not to her and not to them.

And there was his promise to Red to keep her safe and he would be breaking that promise if he followed through with his mother's plan.

Killian takes the dagger and hides it in the map desk, locking it away for extra measure.

His head is still pounding though and it's only then he realizes, that it's not his head, it's his door.

Killian relents, walks over and opens it as Emma's about to pound once more, staring blankly back at him.

"Can I help you with something, Princess?" he asks coolly.

She pushes past him, entering without his permission and waits for him to close the door. Killian sighs, shutting the door but doesn't turn around to face her.

"You've convinced me twice to stay and I decided that I want to stay, and now you want me to leave," she observes, "Killian, I don't understand what's changed,"

"What's changed love," he starts, "is that I changed my mind. You were right all along, I am no good for you and a pirates life isn't right for a princess. You should be home, living safely in your castle with your parents,"

Emma shakes her head. "I love my parents but I want more out of life than living as a royal," she muses, "Killian, I meant what I said: I want to be with you,"

"You're a girl, Emma," he retorts, "You haven't even begun to experience life and therefore, what you want now, can change tomorrow,"

Emma shrugs away from him. "Why are saying these things to me?" she cries.

"Because it's true," he says bluntly, "You don't belong with me, Emma; you don't belong here,"

"I don't believe that," she retorts, stepping closer to him. "Killian, do you believe in fate? Because I do.

Although, I think fate has a weird sense of humor – I truly believe that is where I'm meant to be right now: with you,"

Killian sighs. "I believe in a different code: you make your own destiny and nothing is pre-destined," he reasons, "and I believe that your destiny, Emma is elsewhere, far away from me,"

"Where is this coming from Killian?" she asks. "You didn't want me to leave yesterday but you've been different since we left the tavern,"

Killian doesn't say anything.

"Is it because I accidentally kissed you?" she wonders. "I admit, not one of my finer moments, especially being heavily drunk and not in control of my senses but you should know that I don't regret it,"

He wants to say that he didn't mind the kiss, although would have preferred it to have happened under different circumstances but he doesn't want to persuade her to stay.

"Even for a drunken kiss, it was sloppy," he says icily, "and I told you that we needed to be professional about this, but you went against my wishes and kissed me anyway,"

"I'm sorry," she cries, "but if that's the only reason why you don't want me here..."

"I don't want you, Emma," he says flatly, looking at her. This has to be very painful for her to hear, even more

so for him to say but he's doing this to protect her because he loves her so much.

Emma looks away from him, noticing for the first time the maps on the table and recognizes the waters. "You're

looking for a route back to my kingdom," she says.

"I'm taking you home, Emma," Killian continues, "because that's where you belong,"

Emma is fuming now. "I don't believe anything that you're saying to me, Killian," she seethes, "Everything that

we've shared in a past couple of days, don't tell me all that was an act,"

He shrugs, inwardly cringing, remembering all the beautiful moments between them from their first time lying naked with each other in bed to even that drunken kiss in the tavern, feeling her lips on his. If Killian were really honest with himself, he had been a coward about wanting to kiss her but he felt if he ever did, it would cross the line.

Emma sighs reluctantly. "I want to know the truth, Killian," she pleads. "I want to know. What this is really about?"

"Emma..." he starts but can't think of what else to say, staring into her eyes wishing that he were a different person, a man she could love and she love him in return. Killian wants nothing more than to forget his shit and show her how much he really loves her.

Why not?

"Killian?"

Suddenly, he's pressing his body flush against hers and holds her close, smashing his lips on hers, dueling for superiority. He hears Emma whimper in his mouth and Killian doesn't want to let her go. Emma pulls back and looks at him, very confused over his actions. One minute, he's telling her that he doesn't want her and then the next, he's kissing her.

"I'm not sure I understand what's going on," she reasons. "You've been saying to me for the past ten minutes that

you don't want me and then you kiss me - an amazing kiss that says something different altogether,"

Killian can't really explain himself, adding to the confusion.

"Do you - ? What is it that you want, Killian?" Emma asks.

"I think I need you to leave," he reasons.

Emma shakes her head, walking past him and turns around, looking at him. "I'm staying," she says flatly, "on

the ship because obviously, there's some part of you that wants me to stay, so I'm staying,"

Killian doesn't say anything; he doesn't even look at her as she leaves.

tbc